Doon

stood beside him, a triumphant grin lifting one side of his mouth.

When Jamie spoke, there was no inflection in his voice. “I’m releasing you both into the custody of Fergus and my brother, Prince Duncan, until such time that yer trial can be conducted.”

Gideon’s hold tightened painfully on my arms and he sputtered, “But laird!”

Jamie’s cutting gaze shifted to my jailor. “Gideon, I require your assistance with the king.”

“Yes, sire.”

Gideon released me, and as I rubbed the feeling back into my aching arms Jamie stalked from the room without so much as a glance in my direction. Gideon followed close on his heels. Great. Just what we didn’t need —our fanatical accuser having the opportunity to fill Jamie’s head with more lies.

Duncan approached with a smug twinkle in his eye. He extended one arm to me and then turned to Kenna. “Fear not, m’ ladies. You are under the protection of Duncan Rhys Finnean MacCrae, Prince o’ Doon, and no harm will come to you. I swear it on m’ life.”

CHAPTER 10 Mackenna

Huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf, I staggered to the top of the tower and paused to revel in my accomplishment. I felt like I’d scaled the Statue of Liberty or the Eiffel Tower. One-hundred and seventeen steps— this place really needed to invest in some elevators.

Ahead of me, our rescuer paused to open a heavy wooden door. With a formal bow and a flourish of his hand, Prince Duncan MacCrae waited for us to precede him into the room. “After you, m’ ladies.”

With a murmur of thanks, Vee hurried across the threshold. All that climbing and she wasn’t even winded. I lumbered behind her, doing my best not to sound like a mouth-breathing phone stalker. Panting through my nose only made it worse, so I pretended to admire a painting on the wall until I could recover.

While I feigned an interest in bovine landscapes, Vee paced across the room, busying herself with our new surroundings. Despite the polite smile on her face, the corners of her mouth pinched in tight lines, as if she were holding herself together by sheer determination. Her eyes slid across mine, threatening to storm as she bit her lower lip. Hastily fixing her focus on the opposite end of the room, she exclaimed, “Oh, wow!”

Tearing myself away from the riveting oil canvas of cows, I walked over to where Vee had paused in front of a wall of glass. Floor to ceiling diamond-cut panes sparkled in the sun. Vee pointed beyond them to the tranquil rolling hills. “I’ll bet you can see the whole kingdom from here.”

“Aye, that ye can.”

Sweet Baby Sondheim! I nearly jumped out of my skin as Duncan’s words assaulted the back of my neck. While we’d been gawking at the sights, the sneaky prince had crept up behind us. Or, more specifically, me. He was light on his toes for a big guy. And a little too close for comfort.

With effort, Vee turned her attention away from the view. She flashed the prince a thousand-watt smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It’s spectacular—like being suspended in the clouds. Isn’t it, Kenna?”

Still trying to recover from being scared half to death, I managed a shrug. Which apparently wasn’t good enough for my friend, because she suddenly dug her stiletto elbow into my ribcage. “Gaphf—I’m breathless with admiration.”

Duncan chuckled. “So I noticed.”

“Would you look at this?” Vee spun me around so the ogre and I were nose to nose as she gracefully slipped between us. “This room is amazing!”

I supposed I’d have to take her word for it, since my vision was blocked by the Medieval Hulk. Didn’t this creep know about personal space? Up close and intimate with the prince, tiny details jumped out at me. His short dark hair contained some sort of styling product, giving his unruly waves an effortlessly tousled look. The golden flecks sparkling in his brown eyes created an effect that reminded me of melted caramel. Laugh lines creased the corners of his eyes. And he smelled … like sun-warmed saddles.

His eyes widened at the same moment I realized that I’d sniffed him. Fabulous. Now he would think I was some deranged girl who went around smelling people. Before I could come up with some sort of plausible explanation, Vee made yet another comment about the decor. “Everything works together so well.”

With a silent smirk, Duncan retreated enough to give me an unobstructed view of the roaring fire opposite the windows and sitting area in between. But not enough space to pass without brushing against him.

Trapped, I watched Vee flit about the room like an over-stimulated hummingbird, flapping her wings just to survive. “Check out this massive hearth. It’s like staring into the mouth of a fire-breathing dragon.” Despite her admirable performance, her tone betrayed her.

Vee coped with life’s crap by smiling through it. Between the dungeon and high-and-mighty Jamie MacCrae, she’d faced more than her daily quota. And we hadn’t even gotten to the ominous and looming trial we were meant to face. She’d fall apart when she was ready. The most I could do was be prepared—which usually involved obscene amounts of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey and the Harry Potter saga on DVD. I doubted I’d find either at the local farmer’s market.

She turned to survey the rest of the room, gliding across the plush navy and sage rugs that covered the polished wood floor. As she moved, she paused to manhandle pieces of elegant yet comfortable-looking furniture that captured her interest. Her path made me notice gleaming tables and overstuffed chairs in shades of walnut and gold, artfully arranged into conversation groups for an effect that was both intimate and feng shui.

“This space is so inviting and—you have a library!” Like a magnet, she drifted toward the collection of books lining the back wall. Her fingertips explored the spines with growing enthusiasm.

“Look at this, Ken. Shakespeare. Dickens. Chaucer. And Jane Austen.” That was my girl. Despite the hellish day—and the threat of more to come—she couldn’t resist the siren song of literature. She pulled a red, gilded volume from the shelf and delicately opened it. “This—this is a first edition!”

“They’re all first editions.” Finally, the prince moved toward Vee, his face beaming with pride. “And there’s a hundredfold in the castle library.”

With faintly trembling hands, Vee slipped the priceless book back into its rightful place before turning her questioning countenance toward the prince. “These books have got to be worth thousands of dollars. Why aren’t they in the library with the rest?”

“Because these particular volumes are mine. This is my personal collection. All my favorites.”

That didn’t make sense. I charged across the room to join them. “Why would you keep your favorite books in the guest room?”

“Guest room?” The prince blinked at me for a moment, his brown eyes puzzled. Like the proverbial lightbulb, something clicked into place, and his gut-busting laugh filled the room. “These aren’t guest rooms, lass. These’re my chambers.”

His chambers?

Besides being surprisingly refined for the lair of an ogre, the rooms were occupied. Did he really have the audacity to think we’d bunk with him? Not on his pampered royal life!

“We’re not staying in your rooms.”

“Relax, woman. It’s not as if I’m asking ye to share my bed.” He paused a second too long, peering at me from beneath half-lowered lids. “I’ll be stayin’ across the way.”

Before I could respond, Vee lightly touched my arm, her cue that my mouth needed to stay shut while she diffused the situation. “While we’re honored by your hospitality, your—eh—highness, we couldn’t possibly put you out of your own chambers.”

“Oh, but I insist.” He leveled his gaze at me. “This is the safest place in the castle. I’ll have one of my men stationed just beyond the door, and Fergus and I will be close by.”

A man stationed just outside the door. Like what? A jailer. “Now, look,” I began.

Duncan cut me off. “If ye won’t think of your own safety, think of your friend’s.” As if in agreement, Vee shivered.